Can opener



E. A. ORMSBY Oct, 6, 1931.

CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April. 15, 1931 A. Or/72s Oct. 6,1931. E. A. ORMSBY 1,826,324

CAN OPENER Filed April 15. 1931 2.Sheets-Sheet 2 ILII \IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHPatented Oct. 6, 1931 PATENT OFFIC ELON .A. ORMSBY, OF CEHTERVILI-E,CALIFORNIA CAN OPENER Application filed April 15, 1931. Serial No.530,364.

This invention relates to can openers and has for its object to providea device for cutting and removing the top of a can in an effectivemanner. I The device embodies a knife carried by a pair of pivotedhandles which are operated to force the knife through the head of a canjust inside the. bead thereof, by closing the handles, after whichthecan is'rotated by means of a pair of rollers which engage the beadand which when turned by a crank will rotate the can to cause the knifeto cut out the The invention will be more clearly understood from thefollowingdescription and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the device applied to the top of a can, before thehandles are closed. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the handles closedand the knife forced into the can top, Fig. 3'

is a detail in sectional view, in the P05111101! shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a view similar to Fig. 2 as seen from the opposite side. Fig. 5

is. a detail of one of the handle members.

Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the members. Fig.

7 is a detail of the lid lifter.

Referring particularly to the drawings, 1

and 2 indicate a pair of sheet metal plates or handle members of thepliers type, pivoted 0 together at 6,-and the plate 2 is offset asindicated at 2a to form a depending ear or part 2?) with a finger 20 atits lower end which rests against the side of the can, as shown in Fig.3', when the tool is applied to the can with the offset 20 resting onthe bead of the can, the can being indicated at A.

Mounted in guides 12 struck up from the plate '2 is a. knife blade 13the cutting edge of which is sharpened and pointed as indicated at 13aand has a cutting notch 137)." This blade has near its upper end a slot18 which receives a pin 24 projecting from the handle .member 1,whereby, when this handle member is opened or closed the blade is raisedor lowered. A guide plate 3, secured to the handle member 2 bythe bolt11,.serves as a guide to confine the movement of the handle-member 1.

Pivoted to one side of the plate 1,by the bolt is a plate 19, the outerend'of which has a slot 23a with a headed pin 23 therein, permitting alimited pivotal movement of the plate 19 under the influence of a spring4 which is looped around a pin 5 and presses at its free end downwardlyagainst the u per edge of the plate 19. This plate 19 is 0 set,

see Fig. 6, and within the offset part has a roller 20 fixed to ajournal 7 which-also carries a gear 22 which maybe meshed with a gear 14carried by a crank shaft 10 which has a handle 8 whereby it may beturned. This crank shaft has its bearing in the extension 2b of thehandle member 2 and within said extension carries a knurled rollerorwheel 9 located opposite or directly under the roller 20. The member 2also has fixed thereto a finger or plate 30 which cooperates with a wirelifter 31 to lift the can top out of the can when it is cut. This lifterconsists of a piece of wire extending vertically beside the plate 2 inposition to enter the kerf made by the blade 13. The wire has an offsetfinger 31 at its lower end and a spring handle 316 at its upper end, bywhich it may be turned to engage the finger 31a under the can top 32after it is cut, in which position the loose top is held between theplate 30 and the finger 31a and can thus be lifted off with the canopener. The end of the handle part 31?) forms a spring to snap into thenotch 34 in the upper edge of the plate 2 to hold the lifter in engagedposition as shown in Fig. 7

In operation, the tool is applied .to the top of a can as shown in Fig.1 with the handles in open position, the offset of the member 2 fittingagainst the bead and with the blade 13 in position just within the bead.Then i the handle plate 1 is swung down, and by the action of the pin 24the point of the blade is forced throughflthe can top. At the same time,the plate 19 swings down with the handle 1, carrying with it the roller20 and cansing the bead of the can to be gripped between the roller 20and the wheel 19, as shown in Fig. 3. By the same movement the gears 22and14 are engaged. Then, while the handles 1 and 2 areheld closed, thecrank 8 and shaft 10-are turned and the action of the knurled Wheel 9causes the can to be rotated, and as it'rotates the knife 13, at thenotch 13b, cuts the can top around just within the bead until at thecomplete rotation it is completely severed, and it is then gripped anulifted by the finger 31a and plate 30 so that it is easily 5 removed.The spring permits the plate 19 to yield to a certain extent, to avoidchoking and accommodate various irregularities if any exist, in thehead.

The device is capable of easy manipulation m and will effectivelyperform the operation described.

The invention is not limited to the exact form shown, but variousmodifications may be made within the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a pair of pivoted handles one of which hasguides, a blade slidable in said guides and operatively connected to theother handle, whereby it may 20 be forced into the top of a can to whichthe handles are applied, wheels carried by the respective handles inopposed relation to grip the head of the can, and means to turn thewheels and rotate the can and thereby cut the 2 head after the knife isinserted.

2. The combination stated in claim 1, one of the wheels being carried bya spring pressed plate pivoted to one of the handles.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

in. ELON A. ORMSBY.

